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Some Old Letters 
Bits of History 



Some Old Letters 



Bits of History 



BY 



apargaret aDelia Cooper 



vl 




PRIVATELY PRINTED 

J15eto gork 

1901 



Entered according to Act of Congress in the Year 1901, by 
Sarah Cooper Hewitt, in the Office of the Libra- 
rian OF Congress, at Washington. 



[the tieRARY OF 
I CC-NG«E£S, 
Two Cu.'ifc8 KfccEivEe 

JAN. 2 Ws2 

CO^WCHT ENTSY 

CLASS Ct XXa No 

COPY a. 



iin'i 




A Memory 



AlMOno the pleasantest recollections of an 
unusually happy childhood, there stand 
out in strong relief some occasional but 
eagerly looked forward-to visits to a de- 
lightful roomy old house in Bushwick, 
Long Island, which has been but recently 
removed from its original site to make 
space for a public pleasure-ground, now 
known as Cooper Park. At that time, how- 
ever, Bushwick was essentially in the coun- 
try and the old-fashioned house lay at the 
end of' the typical little Long Island vil- 
lage, very much in the same relation to it as 
the country seats of the English gentry are 



[ vi] 
to their surrounding hamlets in England 
to this day. 

This old house, however, instead of being 
occupied by the lord of the manor, was 
graced by the presence of three most charm- 
ing ladies, who to my childish mind corre- 
sponded exactly to those three goodfaiiies 
in Grimms never-to-be-forgotten Fairy 
Tales, with which I first made acquaint- 
ance there, as well as with books dear to 
my soul, which formed part of an enchant- 
ing child's library that filled all the lower 
shelves of the old bookcases, where my good 
fairies had cleverly placed them within con- 
stant reach of our youthful hands. 

These fairy godmothers were the three 
Misses Cooper, daughters of my grand- 
fathers brother, William Cooper, and the 
society of three such clever, sympathetic, 
and delightful hostesses it is seldom given 



[ vii] 
to the lot of young people to enjoy. How 
well I remember all the many happy and 
useful hours spent in their company, when 
we unconsciously learned from them so 
many valuable and interesting lessons, and 
how great was our desire to be with them 
as much as possible! 

Occasionally, when their family carriage, 
with the cross old Dutch coachman, Fran- 
cis, neglected to meet us at the Long Isl- 
and side of the ferry, my sister and I ven- 
tured to walk alone from there to the house, 
by way of the short-cut foot-path crossing 
the old Bushwick Common. 

Here, in the spring, flocks of geese were in 
the habit of pasturing upon the young 
tender grass, and once we were actually 
attacked and chased by an exceedingly 
grumpy old gander, so that ever after- 
wards we were in deadly terror of these 



[ viii ] 
most worthy descendants of the defenders 
of the Roman Capitol. Yet even the almost 
certain prospect of being again confronted 
by similar doughty foes did not deter us 
from returning to the dear old house and 
its inmates as often as might be. 

On rainy days it was an inexhaustible de- 
light to be turned loose in the large old- 
fashioned garret and left undisturbed to 
play hide-and-seek in all its nooks and 
corners^ behind the pieces of furniture, 
spinning wheels, brass-bound and nail- 
studded horsehair trunks, boxes and bar- 
rels of every description which were stored 
there. Several of these barrels were objects 
of unfailing amusement, for they contained 
family papers and letters of the Revolu- 
tionary period, and we children loved to 
turn them over to examine the different old 
seals and to hold the queer paper with its 



[ix] 
prim old-time writing in faded inks up to 
the light, in order to detect the different 
watermarks, as well as to try to imitate the 
intricate manner of folding the paper to 
form covers such as were used before en- 
velopes were invented. 

How enchanted we were when sometimes, 
after we had been unusually good, which 
was, alas, a most rare occurrence. Miss 
Adelia Cooper, as a particular treat, read 
aloud to us some of the most interesting of 
these letters, explaining and interweaving 
them with historical stories belonging to 
that time. Years later, she must have gone 
over these same letters carefully, perhaps 
for the purpose of sorting them out from 
the confusion in which our disorderly little 
hands had left them, and it was probably 
then that she selected certain ones and wove 
them into a little sketch called ^^Some Old 



[X] 

Letters and Bits of History" which she 
read before the '''Causerie de Lundi" a 
small literary society of which she was a 
member. After reading it but once, being 
far too modest to think of publishing it. 
Miss Cooper placed it among her papers, 
where it was found after her death. It 
was like an actual breath of the past and 
gave a faithful little picture of the quiet 
social life here in the first part of the last 
century, showing loving care and feeling 
for that time, which was one of charm- 
ing simplicity, and about which authentic 
documents are none too plenty and very 
meagre of detail. It seemed to me that in- 
stead of allowing it to perish it should be 
made known to the public, and with this 
idea I obtained from Miss Julia Cooper, 
shortly before her death, permission to 
have her sisters manuscript printed ex- 
actly as it was written, a pei'mission of 



[xi] 
which I now gladly avail myself as a very 
small token of the gratitude and affection 
I shall always feel for her and hers^ to 
whom 1 owe so much. 

Sarah Cooper Hewitt, 

April, 1901. 




Some Old Letters 



The letters which form the substance of 
this paper are in no wise noteworthy as 
letters merely, for they are carelessly writ- 
ten, mostly by girls to their girl friends, 
with no thought of meeting other eyes, 
and the wonder is that they have been so 
long preserved. With other manuscripts 
they had long lain hidden under the eaves 
of an old garret, and become so yellowed 
by time and covered with stains from the 
raindrops which, in the course of long years 
and innumerable storms, had found their 
way through shingles warped by winter 
snows and blazing summer suns, that in 
many places they are quite illegible. Mice 
have nibbled their corners, and bits fall 



[2] 
out from the creases worn in the foldings, 
refoldings, and cross-foldings after the 
fashion of the day, when one part sHpped 
within another was fastened with wax or 
wafer, in the leisurely manner of the time 
before the hurried and inelegant, if more 
practical, days of the lip-moistened gum- 
fastened envelope. 

They are interesting only because they 
date so far back into the past, and cover 
periods so momentous in the history of 
our country, when even the smallest allu- 
sion to passing events, to social customs, 
dress, books, topics of the day, has a 
value as time goes on, in helping to pre- 
serve the colour of the time, and in a way 
giving a fresh side light upon History. 
Some of the writers were residents of New 
York at the time of the Revolution, and 
when matters became so threatening as to 
make a longer stay there unsafe, they re- 



[3] 
treated to more secure abodes along the 
Hudson, at Newburgh, and other places, 
leaving the abler members of the family 
to remain and engage in their country's 
defence. 

Many of the letters therefore give graphic 
accounts of sloop voyages up and down 
the river, which in those days was the 
principal highway of travel Northward, 
and since over two hundred years of 
civilization have given us nothing better 
than our present country roads, we can 
easily imagine what rugged ways our an- 
cestors jolted over in their journeyings, 
nor wonder at their dependence upon 
this broad river as a means of transit. 
When winter set in and ice blocked the 
river, communication was much more dif- 
ficult between New York and the river 
towns. 
The arrival of the sloops, which in sum- 



[ 4 ] 
mer plied up and down two or three 
times weekly, was watched with the great- 
est eagerness; for by them came friends, 
parcels, and letters. The mail being so 
slow, it was rarely availed of while the 
river remained open. The approach of a 
sloop was announced by the blowing of 
a horn. "The horn blows. Good bye," is a 
frequent ending to letters — and we can 
imagine the hasty run down to the wharf 
to get the letters on board in time. 
To compare these contemporary and fa- 
miliar records with the published accounts 
of the times, and trace out in history the 
events to which allusion is made, has been 
my purpose in arranging this paper. That 
it is fragmentary and disconnected has 
been unavoidable, owing to incomplete- 
ness in the correspondence, much per- 
sonal matter which had to be omitted, 
and the unrelated topics suggested. 



[ 5 ] 
Among the earliest letters is one from a 

pupil of the Moravian school at Bethle- 
hem, Pennsylvania, one of the oldest, if 
not the oldest, boarding school in the 
country. 
It is dated 

''New York, April 20th, 1796. 
" With great joy I broke the seal of a 
"letter the other day, and found it was 
" from Sally, which was quite unexpected, 
*' for I must own I have neglected writing 
"as often as I should, but I hope your 
" goodness will pardon me for it. Mr. Van 
" Vleck, and two of the Tutoresses have 
" been here from Bethlehem ; I wish that 
" you had been here to see them, as they 
" were dressed just as they dress at Beth- 
" lehem, with their German caps, and con- 
" tushes, that is a kind of jacket and petti- 
"coat. Patty Binninger came with them 
"to see her papa and mama. They re- 



[ 6] 
"turned again yesterday morning, and I 
"had the pleasure of crossing the ferry 
"with them. Governor Jay's daughter 
" went with them to stay until Fall. 
" There has been a great meeting of the 
" citizens to-day down in the Fields, to con- 
" suit about the Treaty. But I do not know 
" what they have done." 

I came across an unlooked-for confirma- 
tion of this letter in a History of New 
York, which says: "The schools of New 
York, particularly those for girls, were as 
yet of an indifferent character, and Mrs. 
Jay placed her two daughters, Maria and 
Anne, aged eleven and twelve, at the 
celebrated Moravian school for girls at 
Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, where it has 
been said were educated a large propor- 
tion of the belles who gave the fashion- 
able circles of New York and Philadel- 



[ 7] 
phia their inspiration during the last 
twenty years of the century." 
The Fields or Commons were situated 
back of the old Almshouse and the Bride- 
well where the City Hall now is, and were 
used as common property by the citizens 
from the earliest times, as pasture under 
the peaceful sway of the Dutch Burghers, 
and in the stormy times which preceded 
the Revolution as the gathering place of 
the patriots; the cradle of Liberty. What 
Faneuil Hall was to Boston were the 
Commons to New York. Here the Sons 
of Liberty raised and defended their fa- 
mous Liberty Pole. Here they met to de- 
nounce the odious stamp act, and here 
they came to rejoice over the news of its 
repeal. A meeting was held "in the Fields" 
July 6th, 1774, in reference to the landing 
of the "Tea Ship," and again in July 7th, 
so it appears that "the Fields" had long 



[ 8 ] 
been historic ground when this meeting 

of citizens took place to consult about the 
Treaty on April 20th, 1796, of which 
mention is made by this youthful corre- 
spondent. 

The following letter gives an account of 
a voyage by sloop from New York to 
Newburgh : 

" While the events of the last week are 
"still fresh in my mind I will endeavour 
"to try and transmit them to paper as 
"circumstantially as possible for your 
"amusement. On Friday last about sun- 
" set I hastened away from Mr. Van A.'s 
"accompanied by Ellen, Cecilia W., a 
" couple of beaux, and my httle cousin 
" Selina, who accompanied us as far as 
"the sloop, which made rather a sorry 
"appearance, the weather being damp 
"and misty, the deck of the vessel lum- 



[9] 
"bered with plaster of Paris, and the 

" little cabin crowded with between sev- 

" enty and eighty passengers and their 

"baggage, which altogether seemed not 

"to present a very enviable prospect. I 

"resolved, however, to make the best of 

" it, comforting myself with the idea that 

** it would be but for a night and a day at 

"farthest ere I should be at the end of 

" my journey. 'T was near nine o'clock be- 

" fore we set sail and our progress was but 

" slow. Cast anchor a Mttle above the State 

" Prison for the remainder of the night, 

" and next morning had proceeded about 

" eight miles up the river, when we were 

" met by Captain H. returning to New 

" York in distress. They had been between 

" three and four days trying to make their 

" way through the ice, but without effect, 

"and finally got discouraged and were 

"making the best of their way back, in 



[ 10] 

"order to recruit their stores and their 
" spirits, which were both exhausted. 
" From our sloop, which returned and ac- 
"companied them, they received a tem- 
" porary supply of provisions. The princi- 
"pal part of our passengers were landed 
" and proceeded by land. We arrived near 
"by where we started at about twelve 
"o'clock. Just as we were going ashore 
"we were met by Mr. Van A., who had 
"a hearty laugh at our expense, and bid 
" us go up to his house, where he joined us 
"in a few moments. The girls, however, 
" could not be prevailed on to stay, and 
" went to some friends of theirs who lived 
"at some distance. In the night it began 
" to blow hard from the South and next 
"morning before I was up had two mes- 
" sengers to let me know the vessel was 
"to start within a few minutes. With all 
"possible despatch I got myself ready. 



[ 11 ] 

" took a dish of coffee and repaired once 
"more to the sloop, found the Captain 
" swearing mad, and poor Mrs. W. in hy- 
" sterics at the delay of the girls. Mr. W. 
"was despatched for them and it was an 
" hour and a half before they made their 
" appearance." 

Unfortunately the rest of this letter is 
missing, and we cannot know what further 
adventures befell the travellers or how 
long it took them to reach their destina- 
tion at Newburgh. 

It was not until 1807 that the first steam- 
boat, called contemptuously "Fulton's 
Folly," appeared upon the Hudson River. 
This account has been given of the event : 
"The 'Clermont,' built under the direction 
of Robert Fulton at a ship yard on the 
East River, one bright summer morning 
was ready for the trial trip to Albany. 



[ 12] 
But few believed it would ever reach its 
destination. The gentlemen whom Ful- 
ton had invited to accompany him on 
this expedition, were there with evident 
reluctance. They predicted disaster and 
wished themselves well out of it. Pres- 
ently it stopped, and crowds on banks 
shouted in derision, while audible whis- 
pers reached Fulton's ears, of 'I told you 
so.' But the horrible monster steamed 
on breathing fire and smoke. Pine wood 
was used for fuel, and the blaze often 
shot up into the air considerably above 
the tall smoke-stack and whenever the 
fire was replenished immense columns of 
black smoke issued forth mingled with 
sparks and ashes. The terrific spectacle, 
particularly after dark, appalled the crews 
of other vessels, who saw it approaching 
in spite of adverse winds and tide. Many 
of them fell upon their knees in humble 



[ 13] 
prayer for protection, while others disap- 
peared in the cabins, or escaped on shore. 
As this new-fangled craft was passing 
the Palisades, the noise of her machinery 
and paddle wheels so startled an honest 
countryman that he ran home to tell his 
wife he had seen the Devil on his way 
to Albany in a sawmill! Shortly after a 
steam ferry was established at *Paulus 
Hook,' now Jersey City." 

Another voyage by sloop is recounted in 
a letter dated 

^^Courtlandt Plain, September 7th, 1807. 
" I WILL commence, my dear, with giving 
"you a history of our voyage. We con- 
" tinued moving from one pier to another 
" until near seven o'clock. Had I known, 
" we should have had time to accomplish 
" all our business, and taken a comfortable 
" cup of tea with Margaret V. This, how- 



[ 14] 
' ever, was a pleasure we were denied, the 

' Captain continually saying we were go- 

' ing in a moment. However, after a long 

' time, and our patience being nearly ex- 

' hausted, we got under way. I was lost in 

* admiration of the beauty of the scenery, 
' as turning the point of the Battery, both 

* Nature and Art seem to have united in 
' rendering it one of the most picturesque 
'spots that can possibly be imagined. 
' While I stood thus gazing in momentary 
' forgetfulness of myself, a gentleman — if 
' you saw such a thing on board — stepped 
' up and introduced himself by directing 
' my attention to the Paulus Hook steam- 
' boat that was just passing, of which he 
'gave a complete description by way of 
' making himself agreeable. We had con- 
' siderable chit-chat upon various subjects 
' until being tired of standing I left him 
' under pretense of being cold, and went 



[ 15 ] 
"into the cabin for my shawl. I found 

" Mrs. H. the younger, and AmeUa's Httle 

" Frenchman rattMng away most terribly 

"with their tongues. Not feeling much 

" disposed to enter into their mirth, I 

" seated myself on the large chest where 

"the green-coated gentleman with the 

" queue was seated, if you recollect, when 

" you came on board. I had not sat long 

"when my intelligent friend again ad- 

"vanced and was entering into conversa- 

"tion when green-coat stepped up, and 

" shoving himself by degrees between him 

" and me, commenced a learned disserta- 

" tion on the situation, numbers and prop- 

" erties of the stars, which was of course 

" extremely edifying." 

In reference to the queue, this description 

has been given by Josiah Quincy, of the 

m^anner of dressing the hair by gentlemen 

in 1808: He says, "My servant, not con- 



[ 16 ] 
tent with tying my hair simply with a 
ribbon, works it into a most formidable 
queue, at least three inches long, and as 
big as a reasonable Dutch quill. He says 
this is the mode in New York, and as I 
do not wear powder, and it looks a little 
more trig, I acquiesce." Although John 
Jay in one of his letters speaks of the 
French Revolution as having abolished 
silk stockings and high breeding from the 
land, and Jefferson was making a study 
of carelessness in personal attire to illus- 
trate his notions of equality and democ- 
racy, old school fashions had by no means 
become obsolete. 

Peter Parley tells an amusing story of a 
New York barber who, shaving a gentle- 
man on the evening of Madison's nomi- 
nation, exclaimed, "Surely this country 
is doomed to disgrace and shame. What 
presidents we might have had! Look at 



[ 17] 
Daggett of Connecticut, or Stockton of 
New Jersey! What queues they have 
got, sir! As big as your wrist, and pow- 
dered every day, sir, Hke real gentlemen 
as they are. Such men will do honour to 
the country, but this little Jim Madi- 
son, with a queue no thicker than a pipe 
stem, sir! It's enough to make a man 
forswear his country." (Those were surely 
the days when a gentleman was known 
by his coat.) 

I find but few references to woman's dress, 
strange as it may appear, in these girls' 
letters. 

"M. looked very handsome at church yes- 
"terday, in her new bonnet, and a pink 
" silk handkerchief tied in a bow under 
"her chin," writes one. And again, "Send 
" me three yards of blue satin ribbon like 
"that on your bonnet, and a yard of 



[ 18 ] 
"sarcenet." What is sarcenet? We know 
it belonged to the day of dimity and lute- 
string and "sprigged muslin," but mod- 
ern fashions know it no more by that 
name, at least. 

"I found my silk frock in the bandbox," 
writes another. Not such an astonishing 
receptacle, when you remember the huge 
leghorn bonnets and "calashes" of the 
time and the bandboxes to contain them. 
In the old garret of the letters, among 
the flotsam and jetsam which had floated 
down from the past, was an enormous 
blue one adorned with a pink landscape 
running around it, having the capacity 
of a modern steamer trunk; also a big 
leghorn bonnet with a long elegantly 
bordered green gauze veil, worn strung 
around the crown and depending from 
one side. Dresses at this time were worn 
short and clinging, and the feet were en- 



[ 19] 
cased in slippers, with ribbons crossed and 

tied around the ankles. 

It is easy to understand why the mails 
were so little used at this time, when we 
find that it took a month for a letter from 
New York to reach Newburgh, as appears 
from this letter dated 

''December 8th, 1806. 
" You, my dear girl, wrote the 9th of last 
"month and I received the letter last 
" week by mail, which was the 4th of De- 
" cember. And I expect this letter is the 
"last you will receive by the sloops this 
" winter. I hope you will improve the op- 
"portunity before the river shuts up." 
Even by the sloops communication by 
letter seems very uncertain, as they were 
carried by favour of the captains and 
not a regular system, according to a let- 
ter dated Newburgh, June 19th, 1812. 



[ 20] 
While travelling by water was slow and 
uncertain, journeying by land was even 
more difficult. The following letter dated 
"Olympia," gives an account of a stage ride 
to Hempstead. This high-sounding name 
stands for Brooklyn Heights, and fre- 
quently occurs in the letters. The writers 
seem given to applying fanciful names 
to people and places — Cory don, Alexis, 
Esculapius, were among their admirers, 
sometimes spoken of as "swains," and 
amusingly described in letters and verses. 
LuceHa, Selina, Emmeline, replace the 
sweet and homely names of Patty, Sallie, 
or Peggy. This might smack of the vaga- 
ries of "Les Precieuses" of Moliere, but 
it appears to have been a fashion of the 
time and was perhaps only an effort to 
invest Hfe with a httle poetry, or some- 
thing outside of the commonplace — in 
the words of Whittier, 



[ 21 ] 

" Weaving- through all the poor details 
And homespun warp of circumstance 
A golden woof-thread of romance.'''' 

To proceed with the journey: 
"Last Saturday week, as I proposed in 
" my last, we set out on our excursion to 
" Hempstead. When the hour arrived, 
"John went to the stage house to order 
" the driver to stop for us. What was our 
"amazement when he returned and in- 
" formed us the stage would be so full that 
" it would be impossible for us to go. This 
"was indeed too much for even a Job's 
"patience — but how could we help our- 
" selves? It was a third attempt, and begin- 
" ning to think the fates had decreed other- 
"wise, we resolved not to make another. 
" So the stage advanced. However, Mr. 
" H. called out to us to exhibit ourselves 
"at the door — when lo and behold, to 
" our unspeakable joy the driver stopped, 



[22 ] 
" and though there were already thirteen 
"passengers, they made room and we 
"were crowded in among the rest. We 
"had not gone far when we were over- 
" taken by a gentleman, who on account 
" of the number of passengers had under- 
" taken to walk. However, as we were to 
"lose some of our load within a mile or 
"two, he was entreated to get in also, 
"which he did without much hesitation. 
" I must confess I was not without my 
"apprehensions lest the strength of the 
" carriage should not be sufficient to sup- 
" port the weight it contained. 
" We, however, jogged along quite com- 
"fortably squeezed until we got to Bed- 
" ford, when we dropped four of our crew. 
" We arrived safe at Hempstead about 
"dark. 

" Sunday we went to church, where we 
" saw all the lads and lassies dressed up in 



[ 23] 
" their Sunday clothes. After church took 
"a long walk on the Great Plain, which 
*' appears to be bounded on the North by 
"a chain of hills that extend from one 
" end of the Island to the other, on the 
" East by the horizon, and on the West 
"by nothing but a thick wood. I was 
" much better pleased by the situation of 
"the place than I expected; from the de- 
"scription I had formed the idea of its 
"being almost as barren as the burning 
"sands of Arabia, instead of which I 
"found it quite fertile, and in many 
"places highly cultivated. A few miles 
" around the Plain — the Great Plain as it 
"is called — pastures, luxuriant orchards, 
"fields waving with corn and grain of 
"various kinds, diversifying the scenery, 
"together with numerous rivulets that 
"meander through the plain." 
This minute description of these unknown 



[24] 
regions, so near at home, recalls the rapt- 
urous enthusiasm of the charming heroine 
of "A Girl's Life Eighty Years Ago," 
over the surpassing sublimity and gran- 
deur of the scenery about Glens Falls! 
Few things more strikingly mark the 
changes that have taken place since the 
beginning of the century than the rapid- 
ity, ease and frequency of travelling now- 
a-days. What would these old school 
ladies have thought of the recent feat 
of the young women correspondents who 
accomplished a journey around the world 
in less time than in even his wildest im- 
aginings the brilliant French novelist ever 
dreamed of? 

The following account has been given of 
travel by stage from Boston to New York 
about the period of this Hempstead jour- 
ney: 



[25] 
" The stages were old and shackling, much 
of the harness was made with ropes; one 
pair of horses carried the stage eighteen 
miles. We generally reached our resting 
place if no accident intervened at ten 
o'clock, retiring after a frugal supper, 
with the notice that we should be called 
at three the next morning, which gener- 
ally proved to be half-past two. Then, 
whether it snowed or rained, the travel- 
ler must rise and make ready with the 
help of a horn lantern and a farthing 
candle, and proceed on his way over bad 
roads, often obhged to get out and help 
the driver lift the coach out of a quag- 
mire or a rut, arriving at New York after 
a week's hard travelhng, wondering at 
the ease, as well as the expedition, with 
which the journey had been effected." 
I copy this little scrap from a letter from 
Newtown, for its delightfully pastoral 



[ 26] 
suggestion: "You and Amelia should be 
" here to help rake hay. Mr. Lewis is 
" grumbUng every day that the ladies do 
"not turn out in the harvest fields, as 
" they do in Philadelphia. The perfume is 
" delightful; our harvest is almost over." 

In striking contrast to the elaborate and 
lavish entertainments of to-day is an ac- 
count of a simple little party in New York 
which echoes from a long-distant primi- 
tive past: 

" Tuesday evening.'''' 

(No other date given.) 
" We had a small party here. It consisted 
"of Miss Ann, and Margaret V., Miss 
" Kip, Miss Wynkoop, Miss Groshon, 
"Mr. Bogardus, Mr. Demilt, Mr. John 
"Van Antwerp and Mr. S. Our amuse- 
"ments were Blind Man's BufF, The 
" Criminal Alphabetical Admiration, and 
"other plays, the names of which I do 



[ 27] 
" not recollect. Mrs. V. was then solicited 
" to play upon the piano. She began the 
" 'Fisher's Hornpipe,' which was no sooner 
" done than the gentlemen began to mus- 
" ter around for partners. After which Mrs. 
"V. sang several songs, and then they 
" took their respective leave about eleven 
" o'clock." 

It would appear that the art of bad writ- 
ing cultivated as a fashion is no new 
thing, as appears from this extract: 
" Since bad writing is the fashion, I '11 not 
*'take the trouble to hunt for my pen 
"knife to mend my pen, but just scrawl 
" away. See me and Julia in our apart- 
"ment seated upon a little foot-stool, 
" with a pan of dying embers at one side. 
*' Their tongues keep up such a chatter 
"in the parlour I could scarcely write." 
Among the letters were two written on 



[ 28] 
board the ship "Tonquin," bound on the 
expedition to the Columbia River which 
resulted in the settling of Astoria. 
I give a short extract from one intended 
for an ardent love letter, but the cheerful 
expression of patience and resignation at 
the prospect of a prolonged separation 
from the girl of his heart is to say the 
least most amusing: 

^^ Sandy Hook, on hoard the ship ' Tonquin^ 
''September 8th, 1810. 
" I EMBRACE the opportunity of the Pilot, 
" who promises to convey my letter of 
"yesterday morning, as well as this, to 
" you, and by this I must bid you a long 
" farewell, and hope you may enjoy every 
" blessing Nature mingled with Art can 
** produce until I see you again. As for 
'* my part I have resigned to my fate, 
" for I find where contentment is there is 
"everything agreeable following." \_Thefi 



[29] 
comes a long bit of poetry, after which is 
added~\ "I hereby repeat my desire that 
" you would omit no opportunity of send- 
" ing me letters ; I only expect them 
"yearly and then I hope you will give 
" me a full relation of every occurrence 
"during the interval, with some interest- 
*' ing pieces out of the 'Long Island Star,' 
" and some small garden seeds tied up in a 
" package, carefully assorted ; and by giv- 
" ing them yourself to John Jacob Astor, 
"Esq., in Broadway, New York, about 
"the time you hear there is a vessel go- 
" ing to sail for us to Columbia River we 
"wiU be sure to receive them. Perhaps, 
" dear S., I have acted too freely in my 
" writing and taken too much liberty, but 
" if so, I hope you will remember that to 
" err is human, to forgive divine. 
" Between this and New York the land 
" seems excellently cultivated both by 



[30] 
" Nature and Art. If I do not get an op- 
"portunity before we arrive at Columbia 
" River of writing to you, you cannot ex- 
"pect a letter from me sooner than two 
" years from hence — a very long time in- 
" deed. Nothing now before me but the 
"roaring ocean and the boundless deep, 
" so adieu." 

Of the end of this voyage and the tragical 
fate of the "Tonquin" and its crew a full 
account is given by Washington Irving 
in his "Astoria." 

The vessel was equipped and sent out by 
Mr. Astor with the object of estabhshing 
a line of trading posts with the Indians. 
After a long and eventful voyage, of 
which a graphic account is given by 
Irving, they landed at the mouth of the 
Columbia River and established the port 
called Astoria. 
Leaving a portion of the company there 



[ 31 ] 
the ship proceeded Northward in search 
of furs and peltries, until they reached 
Van Couver's Island. Here the Captain, 
through lack of tact in dealing with the 
Indians, managed so to enrage and exas- 
perate them that, with the knives he had 
given them in barter, they fell upon the 
crew and slaughtered them before they 
had time to reach their guns to defend 
themselves. One of the company who 
eluded the Indians for a time, finding he 
could not escape, set fire to the magazines, 
destroying the ship and aU on board. 

The following letter recounts the disaster: 
"Picture to yourself, my dear M., my 
" feelings when I teU you the fate of our 
"poor Northwesterners. After having en- 
" dured every hardship that from circum- 
" stances we have reason to believe they 
" must have endured, having just arrived 



[32 ] 

"at the end of their voyage, — and no 
"doubt hope, that fond deluder, and 
"pleasing anticipations of future success 
" were beginning to reanimate them, — 
" when a tribe of barbarous savages rushed 
"upon them, set fire to their magazines, 
" and blew them, ship and all, to atoms ! 
" Alas what a horrible fate awaited them, 
"too horrible for imagination, much less 
" language, to convey the most distant idea 
" of. How often are we poor short-sighted 
"mortals led to murmur at the impene- 
" trable ways of providence and question 
" the wisdom of its designs, but the ways 
" of the Almighty are just and cannot err. 
" He tries various means and even permits 
" afflictions in order to bring us to a sense 
" of our helplessness and dependence upon 
"his divine aid; thus when rightly consid- 
"ered, our afflictions are really blessings 
"in disguise. You are indebted, dear M., 



[33] 
" to my candle for a release from this mel- 
"ancholy strain, for it is just expiring and 
" I must hasten to my pillow." 
Before closing the final chapter of this 
story, it is a relief to find it less tragical 
than at first appeared, — for a later letter 
gives a more cheerful sequel. 

^^ Clover Lawn, Jvly 18th. 
" Last Tuesday afternoon just after I had 
"sealed my last to you I was much sur- 
*' prised to see a gentleman approaching 
" the gate. I instantly recognized Mr. S., 
"who inquired for my ladyship. All in a 
" flutteration I flew about my room, ar- 
" rayed myself and made my appearance in 
" the parlour below, and was immediately 
" greeted by our old friend, who, after the 
"first salutations were over, hastened to 
" inform me that the reports circulated re- 
" specting them were incorrect, — the com- 



[34 ] 
"pany having all landed ere the dreadful 
"catastrophe took place between the In- 
" dians and the ship's crew. Mr. S. has 
'* performed the pedestrian journey of fif- 
" teen hundred miles, and almost, from the 
" dangers he has escaped, begins to fancy 
"himself immortal. He had the pleasure 
" to find a certain young lady still single, 
" who, I beUeve, is more inclined than ever 
" to hsten to him favourably. Poor fellow ! 
" I really think he deserves the reward of 
"her smiles. He informs me he had been 
" with a friend of mine six months before 
" leaving, who would have written had he 
"known of his returning so soon. Our 
"tete-a-tete was here interrupted by the 
" entrance of Aunt K. and he soon shortly 
" after took his leave with the promise to 
" call soon. I feel very anxious to hear the 
" rest of his adventures." 
The man who "returned to tell the tale," 



[85] 
Mr. David Stuart, mentioned in Irving's 
"Astoria," and the impatient fiery lover 
of the "yearly correspondence" and the 
"assorted garden seeds," were of the party 
left at Astoria, and thus escaped the dis- 
aster to the "Tonquin" and her crew. 
From another letter it appears that the 
latter still lives, is "making a fortune, and 
intends returning next summer." 
It is, however, a satisfaction to know that 
the lady did not respond to his ardent 
flame, for she writes to a friend, "I can 
"assure you no part of my heart went 
"out to the Columbia River." 

I must pass over, or this paper would be 
much too long, many letters that I had 
marked for some little glimpse that seemed 
to illustrate and vivify the past, to the 
sacrifice of much that is delightful, and 
hurry on to the description and sugges- 



[36] 
tion of the troublous times of 1812, which 
were fast approaching. 
That keen observer and student of his 
countrywomen, Howells, has said that the 
cultivated American woman is prover- 
bially ignorant of the history of her own 
country. The world has moved since his 
"Wedding Journey," and Professor Fiske 
is abroad in the land leaving no historical 
or even archeological stone unturned, from 
pre-Columbian times down to the present, 
to reverse that base aspersion. It may, 
however, be admitted that the history of 
other countries has been more studied and 
been found more attractive than our own, 
and before proceeding with the letters it 
may perhaps give them added interest to 
take a little survey from history of the 
condition of affairs at the opening of the 
war. Questions of international and mari- 
time law had long been the cause of great 



[ 37 ] 
bitterness of feeling between the United 
States and Great Britain, and were not 
fully settled to the satisfaction of either 
country by the Treaty of 1796. Great Brit- 
ain was incensed by the supposed leaning 
of the United States towards France, and 
took no pains to prevent a war, beheving 
she could easily maintain her supremacy 
through her naval power and defeat and 
humiliate the United States. The war was 
strongly opposed in the United States by 
the Federalists, on the ground that there 
was greater cause for war with France 
than with Great Britain, and that the 
country was not prepared for war. It was 
favoured by a majority of the old Repub- 
lican party, but opposed by Madison who, 
however, finding that his support for a 
second term for the presidency depended 
upon his consenting to a declaration of 
war, finally yielded, and on the 22nd of 



[38 ] 
June, 1812, the edict went forth and the 
war was declared. Thus it appears that 
dissensions at home, as well as war with 
a foreign foe, conspired to render this a 
doubtful and gloomy period for the young 
republic. 

A letter dated from Newburgh, June, 
1812, says: 

" The steamboat on Sunday brought 
" word that the war was declared, which, 
" though apparently beyond dispute, I do 
" not wish to beUeve until British bullets 
" come flying about our ears to enforce 
"the truth. Come to us, and you will be 
" safe, or have time to settle upon a more 
" secure abode." 

Another letter says : 

" If Julia is still with you tell her she 
"must write and tell us all about our 
"friends in B., who are going to the war. 



[39] 
'*and who to the mountains. The horn 
"blows, good-bye." 

'■^ Brooklyn^ June ^^th. 
** Julia has at last bid us adieu and taken 
"her flight to Newtown, but with a 
" promise to return if Aunt K. concludes 
" upon taking her journey Northward, of 
" which I think there is little doubt, since 
"the present disturbances, instead of de- 
"terring as I expected, seem to augment 
" her wish to go. 

" Mrs. B. is suffering the most direful ap- 
" prehensions of being driven from her 
"new and elegant abode, just as she has 
"it completed. W. teases her by teUing 
" her that it would be a commodious and 
" dehghtful situation for some British am- 
"bassador. Please tell papa I have heard 
"nothing of Mr. W. The probability is 
" that he is at present on board of some 
" of the war ships of the United States 



[ 40 ] 
" cruising out along the coast in pursuit 
" of the enemy, several of which have 
" already been seen nigh our borders. It 
"is reported that a severe engagement 
" ensued last night, that the report of 
" cannon was distinctly heard at Rock- 
"away, and lasted some considerable 
" time. Enough about war. I hope Mama 
"is well, and more happy than at B. I 
" shall expect letters on the return of the 
" bearer of this." 

^^Newhurgh^ July ^, ISl'B. 
^^One at night. 
" Cousin I. will be the bearer of this to 
" you, and I cannot let pass so good an op- 
" portunity of sending an epistle. I would 
"not advise you to prolong your stay in 

" B until the return of Aunt K. from 

"Albany. Her going there I think very 
" doubtful, and apprehend too much dan- 
"ger attending to warrant it." 



[ 41 ] 

''Newburgh^ July ^nd, 1812. 

"Had you been with us to-day, you 
''would have seen such a number of ves- 
" sels before a highly favouring gale ; many 
"merchantmen just from sea, going, I 
"imagine, as far as Hudson to receive 
" crews at a secure harbour. Several sloops 
"with our troops on board bound for 
" Canada, which on a less melancholy 
"occasion would have been a new and 
"pleasing sight. They came immediately 
" under the shore, gave three cheers and 
" in a few minutes were out of sight. 
" I have made a new and agreeable ac- 
"quaintance in the person of a young 
" lady from Halifax residing at present 
"with her aunt, living opposite. The la- 
"dies complain very much, say there are 
"but few fashionable men here, and that 
"those few are quite modern in their 
" manners, very independent and inatten- 



[42] 
" tive to the girls. Fortunately for me, I 
"neither wish nor expect much and will 
" be suited with Mama and Cousin. I am 
" already quite in favour. How it is with 
"the 'modern,' I neither know nor care." 

''August mh, 
" A CERTAIN person of whom you expect 
"me no doubt to say a great deal, has 
"not returned from Baltimore. I hope 
"he has not fallen into the hands of the 
" Baltimore riot, which has been carried 
" by political frenzy to such a height that 
" not only the property but lives of some 
"of the people have been sacrificed in a 
"most barbarous manner. We cannot be 
"too thankful for the blessings we enjoy 
"in having magistrates who, instead of 
"sanctioning, check every appearance of 
"mobbing and rioting, which is to be 
" more dreaded than actual war. Of Com- 



[ 43 ] 

* modore Rogers we have had no account 

* since the 4th of July. Some of our pri- 
' vateers have taken a number of British 

* prizes. One was taken in Philadelphia 
*]ast week laden with dry-goods to the 

* amount of seventy thousand pounds 
' sterling, and another very valuable prize 
*by the 'Hornet,' a British brig mount- 
*ing 36 guns. I understand the elegant 
' Mr. Cummings is going to be married to 
' a young lady in New York. I think the 

* girls are mad to marry officers at this 
'critical juncture. My candle is almost 
'expiring, and I must hasten to my 
'pillow." 

I find this reference in history to the 
Baltimore riots on June 24th, 1812 (two 
days after war was declared): "Great out- 
rages were committed in Baltimore be- 
cause of opposition to the war, by one 
of the newspapers, and several lives were 



[ 44 ] 
lost in the riots that ensued. The pride 
of the war party was severely humbled 
by repeated failures, and its strength 
was fast diminishing under the stinging 
ridicule of the Federal newspapers, when 
relief came through a series of unex- 
pected successes." 

Of Commodore Rogers, history says that 
within an hour after receiving official in- 
telligence that war was declared he sailed 
from New York in command of a squad- 
ron of gunboats, and in his cruise through 
the summer kept more than twenty Brit- 
ish vessels in search of him for weeks, and 
returned late in the autumn having cap- 
tured eleven merchantmen, and a British 
armed schooner. 

''September Wth, 1812. 

"The city is in a constant uproar with 

"the troops marching in from different 

"places, and others going out. Sunday 

IL.ofC. 



[ 45 ] 
" seems like a Fourth of July, the drums 
" beating and guns firing continually. 
" Commodore Rogers is not boasted of as 
"formerly; his cruise has not given that 
"pleasure to the Demos they expected. 
" You hardly hear him mentioned. The 
"principal topic at present is the shame- 
"ful surrender of Hull's. A number of 
" companies have volunteered to go to 
" Canada and regain if possible some ad- 
" vantage out of it, but they will meet 
" with cold noses before they go far, for 
" the weather is so cold we are obliged to 
" creep to the fire; it is more like Novem- 
" ber than September." 
It is recorded that General William Hull 
was sent to invade Canada at Detroit and 
Niagara, although much against his judg- 
ment unless more strongly supported. He 
succeeded, however, in crossing over to 
Canada and hoisting the American flag. 



[ 46 ] 
Not daring to push forward for want of 
reinforcements, after a few weeks he in- 
gloriously retreated to Detroit, and the 
white flag was raised. The capitulation 
included a detachment who were on their 
way to reinforce him, which arrived just 
as the surrender was made. Their wrath 
was terrible, and the whole army was in a 
fury of disappointment. 

" September mh, 1812. 
"Dear S. :^ — Your two obliging letters 
*' came safe to hand. For delaying so long 
"to reply, you will probably, on the re- 
" ceipt of this, apply the old adage ' Better 
" late than Never.' You will, however, do 
" me the justice to believe that the delay 
"has not proceeded from unwillingness 
" promptly to acknowledge the obligation 
"you have laid upon me, but from the 
"hope I daily indulge of being able to 
"furnish you with some information of a 



[ 47 ] 
"more interesting nature than what Ru- 
" mour with her thousand tongues one day 
" so confidently proclaims, and the next as 
"confidently refutes. I might of course 
" have informed you of what is doubtless 
"already known beyond the Highlands: 
"that Captain Hull has given the proud 
" sovereigns of the ocean a practical les- 
" son on the great difference between en- 
" countering Americans or Frenchmen on 
" that element ; that vast numbers of pri- 
"vateers have sailed from, and many 
" more are fitting out in the port of New 
"York, and every other port in the 
"United States, and already they have 
" taken to the number of 175 prizes, many 
" of them laden with valuable cargos. An 
"expedition from the Navy Yard in this 
"place is about to proceed under com- 
"mand of Captain Chauncey to attack 
"the British forces on the Lakes. While 



[ 48 ] 
" I am writing a number of English pris- 
" oners taken by one of our privateers are 
" on their way to Flatbush jail." 
History records that Commodore Isaac 
Hull of the frigate "Constitution" en- 
countered and chased England's famous 
"Guerriere," one of the best frigates of 
the English Navy, and in a close conflict of 
half an hour's duration disabled and cap- 
tured her. This thrilling event occurred 
August 19th, at the mouth of the St. 
Lawrence, just three days after the sur- 
render of Detroit by the uncle of this 
heroic Commodore. 

« June 16th, 1813. 
" I SUPPOSE the news of the city being in 
" a state of Blockade has reached you be- 
" fore this. A number of vessels that were 
"going out have returned and confirmed 
" the news. A pilot brought word that two 
" 74s were within the Hook, and 30 gun- 



[ 49 ] 
" boats were sent down, no doubt to give 
" them battle. I wonder why they did not 
" send some of our ferry-boats to assist." 
By referring to history, it appears "that 
an occasional blockade had all along been 
maintained by the British cruisers, but 
after so many defeats Great Britain de- 
termined to cripple New York by com- 
pelling her to keep her cruisers at home. 
One or two large vessels could already be 
seen off Sandy Hook, precursors of the 
formidable British fleet which took pos- 
session of Gardiner's Bay and the sur- 
rounding waters early in the following 
April and kept New York under strict 
blockade for a year and ten months." 

''August 13th, 1815. 
" I WAS at a party on board that gallant 
"little ship, the 'Hornet,' Tuesday even- 
" ing. The party met at the steamboat 



[50] 
'wharf, where a great number of Navy 
' barges hned with flags were waiting our 
'arrival. We were rowed by twelve men 
'to the 'Hornet,' lying opposite the 
' Navy Yard, and when I got on board, I 
'never saw anything more like enchant- 
' ment. There was an awning, or rather 
'room (as it was enclosed on all sides), 
'formed with flags; at each end of the 
'room stood tables with refreshments, 
' under which the British flags taken from 
'the 'Peacock' and 'Penguin' were laid 
^ low. We had also the band of the 'Pen- 
'guin,' which I think equal to the 'Mace- 
* donia's,' play for us. There were four 
'chandeUers of bayonets, wound around 
' with striped flags, the Captain's Cabin 
' and Ward rooms were ornamented with 
' artificial flowers purchased by the ofli- 
' cers from the Nuns of St. Salvador. 
' I am almost sorry I attempted a de- 



[ 51 ] 

" scrip tion, as no person can possibly im- 
" agine the brilliancy of the scene except 
" those who were witnesses of it." 

I find this published account of the recep- 
tion of Lawrence, and his exploits : 
" On the 25th of March the city was in 
a proud and joyful commotion over the 
arrival of the 'Hornet' under Captain 
Lawrence, who had added one more vic- 
tory to those already recorded. He had 
attacked the frigate 'Peacock' off the 
South American coast on the 22nd of 
February, and with such a blaze of fire 
that in fourteen minutes she not only 
struck her colours, but raised a signal of 
distress. Her Commander was slain, and so 
severely riddled was the 'Peacock' that it 
was impossible to keep her afloat." 
Everywhere the name of Lawrence was 
honoured throughout the land. 



[52 ] 
Afterward in a battle between the " Ches- 
apeake" (of which he was in command), 
and the British ship "Shannon," in which 
he was defeated, and mortally wounded, 
as he was carried dying below he cried, 
"Tell the men to fire faster — don't give 
up the ship — fight till she sinks." And his 
dying words became the battle cry of the 
American Navy during the war. It was 
the motto borne by Perry's flagship into 
battle three months later; a flag bearing 
these words being used as a signal to the 
other vessels when an attack was about 
to be made. 

One more letter and a short extract from 
history will conclude this already too 

lengthy paper. 

^^ December Ist^ 181 4. 

" Nothing, dear S , would have given 

"me more pleasure than to have had an 
" opportunity of paying you a visit, but 



[53] 
" war, the destroyer of every comfort, has 
"deprived me of the pleasure. Our fam- 
"i]y has so many gentlemen that all but 
" mother and myself have been in the ser- 
" vice. At present there is a faint hope 
" of peace taking place. I hope the news 
"may prove true. Your mother went 
" with me last week to see the parade at 
" Margaret's, who sends a good deal of 
" love to you and all the family." 
This faint hope was soon to become a 
joyful reaUty, for on the 24th of Decem- 
ber, a Treaty of Peace was signed by the 
Commissioners of both nations, and im- 
mediately transmitted to London, and 
was ratified the 28th of the same month 
by the Prince Regent. On February 11th, 
the ship "Favourite" arrived under a flag 
of truce, bringing two messengers with 
the Treaty. It was late Saturday night, 
but the news spread with lightning rapid- 



[ 54 ] 
ity, carrying the blessed word Peace! 
People rushed into the streets in an 
ecstasy of delight, cannon thundered, bells 
rang, bonfires were lighted, houses illu- 
minated, and flags were unfurled from 
steeple and dome, strong men wept and 
grasped each other by the hand — others 
fell upon their knees in heartfelt prayer, 
and amid cheers and rejoicing messengers 
were sent in all directions to proclaim 
the joyful tidings of Peace throughout 
the land. 

MARGARET ADELIA COOPER. 




Two Hundred Copies of this book were printed at 
the Merrymoukt Press, Boston, in June, 1901. 



jBKi - 2 1002 



JAN 2 1902 

1 COPY DEL IQCAT.OIV. 

JAN. 2 1902 



i.^W 



,8 ^9^"^ 



